Covington GA Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Georgia · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
67.8%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
322 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,409
awaiting hearing
ALJs
9
active judges
Covington GA ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melinda McIntyre | 90.2% | 9.8% | 85.2% | 337 | 380 |
| Sonya Grounds | 79.1% | 20.9% | 74.4% | 86 | 107 |
| Paul McAdam | 73.7% | 26.3% | 68.2% | 255 | 328 |
| L. E Davis | 69.1% | 30.9% | 54.7% | 285 | 337 |
| Brooke Werner McEckron | 67.2% | 32.8% | 58.4% | 305 | 352 |
| Joseph Bestul | 62.4% | 37.6% | 46.9% | 311 | 355 |
| William L Hogan | 61.3% | 38.7% | 35.5% | 31 | 31 |
| Wylly Jordan III | 52.2% | 47.8% | 43.8% | 272 | 343 |
| Kristen Glover | 50.8% | 49.2% | 39.5% | 248 | 301 |
About the Covington GA Social Security Hearing Office
The Covington GA hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Georgia. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 9 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 67.8%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 50.8% to 90.2%, a 39-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 322 days. There are currently 1,409 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 157 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 56.3%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Covington GA Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Covington GA, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 8 months and 322 days average processing time, claimants at Covington GA can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Covington GA have collectively issued 2,130 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 237 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 31 to 337 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Covington GA Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Covington GA?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 50.8% to 90.2%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 56.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Covington GA?
What is the average case processing time at Covington GA?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.